The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-11-18

alter one OF I. these earthquakes, anC
| Bogus himself carried their food tt
them at such times and until his sen
tence of solitary confinement had been
executed or committed. rs the case
might be. In the boyish freedom Of
my intercourse with Buck Leather.
wood had asked him bluntly if these
stories were true. and he had an.
swered me very evasively that "people
allus made thongs out blame sight
worse un they was" Which. in The
language of the itinerant lar of the
Sandtown circuit, was plea in the
| nature of confession and avOidance,
and, so far as l was concerned, ended
the investigation.
But l must say in my own behalf
that in my daily and nightly goings
and conings about the Leatkerwood
house, under the guidance of Buck, ]
had never seen nor heard any thing
harsher from Bogus Lcatherwood
toward his wife or daughter than was
contained in the episode just recounicd.
Nevertheless in all fairness to the
reader must tell what had seen and
heard. aye! and felt. too, as having a
bearing upon this subject.
1t was one day some three years be-
fore the era of which am now writ
ing that Buck Leatherwood. in !; burst
of uncomfortable enthusiasm, took me
IN fho how cf.,i,,va,- aud Cor tho f,.c =
and last time-but One-intO his sis
ter's room 10 show me marvellous
pistol that his pap" had given to his
sister only day or two before. 1t
was a queer. long, blue weapon with
bead sight, concealed hammer and
an ivory handle absolutely glittering
with jewels, red, blue. yellow and
white, and it reposed in an old rose
wood case lined with satin and stained
with some dark blotches.
1t was whilst we were uttering tho
smotbered "uh-in-m-sr' and '.ul-h-h's"
of boyish establishment and admira-
tion-not having regained that stage
of self-possession at which we would
have begun to ascertain whether it
were loaded, and if so. how far we
could hit n tree out of the east-window
that old Bogus Leatherwood. COM
ing from the Lord knows where and
how, pounced upon us with a simulta.
neous growl and scowl that l have
since mentally likened to nothing less
than the conjunction of the roar of II
lion with flash of sheet-lightning.
What he did to us neither knew. 1t
was quite certain that we were pitched
down the box stairway, bursting open
the thin batten door in our simultane-
Gus descent, and sprawling upon the
dining-room floor. from whence we
arose and ran precipitately out through
the kitchen, across the lot into IA con-
venient jungle of luxuriant jimson-
weed, and so on down to the river,
where we at once pulled off our nam
keen pants and hickory shirts and
went in swimming, in order to ex-
change views upon the situation.
On this night l changed my views
US NoOu
of the female members of his family.
What had formerly considered
beastiy tyranny l now viewed rs
very proper assertion of parental au-
thority over a Maynard girl, and con-
jugal authority as to weak and in
dulgent mother.
But at this stage of the RETROSPECT
ton the quick and appreciative ear of
Buck Lcatherwood caught the pre-
liminary. melOdious drawl of more
than usually sonorous fiddle from the
sounding wooden walls of the ample
bar-rOOm. and, with an exclamation of
delight, we sprang up and darted into
the entry. aud then more composedly
proceeded into the bar-room, where,
in half-obseuring cloud of tobacco
smoke. the court and bar and its for
eign clientele surrounded the 1.-the
figure of Mr.. Martin. cutting the most
elegant and elaborate of pigeon-wings
to the inspiring triads of Leather
Breeches." played by skilled hand
and cunning fingers.